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Newcomen atmospheric engine
The Newcomen engine was the first commercially viable machine to be fuelled by steam. It was designed to pump water out of coal mines, which enabled miners to go deeper and tap into further seams of coal, tin, and other minerals. By 1725 the Newcomen engine was a common site in mines across Britain. -
Flying shuttle
The flying shuttle is a type of weaving shuttle. It was a pivotal advancement in the mechanization of weaving during the initial stages of the Industrial Revolution, and facilitated the weaving of considerably broader fabrics, enabling the production of wider textiles. Moreover, its mechanical implementation paved the way for the introduction of automatic machine looms. -
the Spinning Jenny
The spinning jenny had one hand-powered wheel but eight spindles. Thus, a person could create eight strands of yarn simultaneously. Later versions of the spinning jenny had even more spindles. These large machines were put in factories, where fewer, less-skilled workers produced more yarn. -
Watt Steam Engine
An icon of the Industrial Revolution broke onto the scene in the early 1700s, when Thomas Newcomen designed the prototype for the first modern steam engine. The “atmospheric steam engine,” Newcomen's invention was originally applied to power the machines to pump water out of mine shafts. -
Steamboat
The steamboat was an important invention developed during the Industrial Revolution to improve commerce and human transportation, especially along rivers. It was invented in the United States by Robert Fulton who used a combination of multiple inventions and concepts that had been developed previously. -
Carding machine
The Scholfield Wool Carding Machine was one of the many innovations of the industrial revolution. It was a machine that carded raw wool fibers into yarn, which could then be spun or woven. The Scholfield brothers first imported the machine to the United States in 1793. -
Water frame
The water frame was developed by Richard Arkwright in 1775. Installed in water-powered factories, the machine could spin large quantities of cotton yarn. Its operation relied on a supply of raw cotton grown by enslaved people. Science Museum Group Collection More information. -
Spinning mule
The spinning mule was a machine invented by Samuel Crompton in 1779. The machine made it easier to produce cotton yarn and thread. The spinning mule allowed one person to work more than 1,000 spindles at the same time. The machine not only made production faster, but it also produced a higher-quality yarn. -
Cotton gin
The cotton gin is a machine that separates cotton seeds from cotton fiber. Invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, it was an important invention because it dramatically reduced the amount of time it took to separate cotton seeds from cotton fiber. -
Steam locomotive
The steam engine, either used on its own or as part of a train, is an iconic invention of the Industrial Revolution. An experiment in the seventeenth century that turned—by the middle of the nineteenth—into technology, the steam engine powered huge factories, allowed deeper mines, and moved a transport network. -
Mechanical reaper
Cyrus McCormick was more than an inventor; he was responsible for revolutionizing agriculture throughout the country. The mechanical reaper was used by farmers to harvest crops mechanically. This machine proved to be the answer for wheat farmers because it increased food production as well as made harvesting easier. -
Electric motor
Electric motors replaced steam engines and other mechanical power sources, offering greater efficiency, control, and ease of maintenance. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the widespread adoption of electric motors in various industrial applications. They powered machinery in factories, mines, and transportation systems, driving the Industrial Revolution forward. -
Steel plow
The steel plow was developed during the Second Industrial Revolution as a way to improve the process of farming, increase productivity, and expand usable land for farmers. Prior to the invention of the steel plow, plows were made of cast iron. -
Electrical telegraph
It was the first electrical telecommunications system and the most widely used of many early messaging systems called telegraphs, that were devised to send text messages more quickly than physically carrying them. Electrical telegraphy can be considered the first example of electrical engineering. -
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a machine used to sew fabric and materials together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies. -
Telephone
The telephone helped the Industrial Revolution by allowing for immediate communication between people and allowing them to exchange ideas and information. First patented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, the telephone expanded the whole notion of communication. -
internal combustion engine
The invention of the internal combustion engine significantly impacted the Industrial Revolution. Several inventors played roles in the engine's development, but Nikolaus Otto was credited for creating the first internal combustion engine in 1876 -
Incandescent lamp
Thomas Edison's carbon-filament incandescent bulb, or electric lighting, was one important invention that made the rise of cities possible. After Edison patented his bulb in 1879, factories quickly invested in electric lighting technology, which promised their businesses longer hours and more efficiency. -
Electric railways
German engineer Werner von Siemens demonstrated the first electric railway, intended for urban mass transit, in Berlin in 1879. By the early 20th century, electric railways were operating within and between several major European and United States cities. -
Automobile
The Second Industrial Revolution focused instead on steel production, the automobile, and advances in electricity. Henry Ford's invention of the automobile is one of the most significant inventions from the Second Industrial Revolution.